Catholic News

Caracas -
Venezuela's Catholic Church raised pressure on the leftist government Friday in a deadly political crisis, warning that its drive for constitutional reforms is turning the country into a "military dictatorship.

Caracas -
Venezuela's Catholic Church said Friday that constitutional reforms planned by the country's leftist government in response to a deadly political crisis were turning the country into a "military dictatorship.

Manila -
Thousands of Catholic faithful gathered in the Philippine capital on Saturday for a "show of force" in the biggest rally yet to stop extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war.

Manila -
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday taunted the country's Catholic priests and bishops to take highly addictive crystal methamphetamine, as he accused them of "hypocrisy" for criticising his deadly drug war.

Manila -
Masses of Catholic devotees in the Philippine capital braved sizzling weather and terrorist fears on Monday in a frenzied bid to touch a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ that is believed to have miraculous powers.

Manila -
Masses of Catholic devotees in the Philippine capital braved sizzling weather and terrorist fears on Monday in a frenzied bid to touch a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ that is believed to have miraculous powers.

Manila -
Masses of Catholic devotees in the Philippine capital braved sizzling weather and terrorist fears on Monday in a frenzied bid to touch a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ that is believed to have miraculous powers.

Rome -
Bishop Javier Echevarria, leader of the controversial Roman Catholic organisation Opus Dei, has died after treatment in hospital for a lung infection, according to an official statement posted on Twitter.

Hagatna -
A Vatican administrator has urged Rome to remove the head of the Catholic Church in Guam over child sex allegations, warning the scandal could bankrupt the church in the deeply religious Pacific territory.

Hong Kong -
The head of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong has said the Chinese government is willing to reach an "understanding" with the Vatican over the contentious issue of the appointment of bishops.

Davao -
Outspoken incoming Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has launched a series of obscenity-filled attacks on the Catholic Church, branding local bishops corrupt "sons of whores" who are to be blamed for the nation's fast-growing population.

Montreal -
This year will mark the 70th anniversary of Frank Roncarelli's loss of his liquor license at his Montreal restaurant prompting a landmark legal battle that would last over a decade and redefine the Canadian constitution.

Sydney -
A bishop in charge during one of Australia's darkest periods of child abuse by Catholic clergy died Monday, depriving an inquiry of further evidence from a man once closely linked to Vatican finance chief George Pell.

Naples -
Thousands of protesters demonstrated in Naples on Saturday in a bid to prevent the Catholic Church gaining any control over the treasure of a local saint that is reputedly worth more than British crown jewels.

Sydney -
An Australian inquiry on Wednesday heard of a gun-toting paedophile priest who made children kneel between his legs during confession as Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell admitted a time of "crimes and cover-ups" within the Catholic Church.

Rome -
Evidence is emerging that Australian Cardinal George Pell covered up the sexual abuse of children by priests on his watch, survivors told AFP on Tuesday, on the sidelines of a hearing into the top Vatican official's culpability.

Sydney -
Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell insisted he has the "full backing" of Pope Francis as he told an inquiry on Tuesday that abuse claims against Australia's most notorious paedophile priest were not "of much interest" to him.

Sydney -
Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell admitted on Monday the Catholic Church "mucked up" in dealing with paedophile priests and vowed he would not "defend the indefensible" before an Australian inquiry.

Sydney -
Survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy in Australia were on Friday set to travel to Rome to hear evidence from Cardinal George Pell, but denied there was a "witch hunt" against the Vatican finance chief.

Mary's praying were cut off in the senseless act of vandalism that police are investigating as a hate crime.

St. Matthew Catholic Church

Debate between Catholics and Oriental Christians in the 13th century, Acre 1290.

Atlas des Croisades, Jonathan Riley-Smith

RELIGIOUS: The Geary Boulevard entrance to St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco is shown.

Gndawydiak/Wikimedia Commons

Genesys Regional Medical Center.

YouTube screen grab ACLU

The desecrated Virgin Mary Statue

St. Matthew Catholic Church

Gavin Friday performs live at Dublin's Olympia Theatre November 29th, 2011.
“Deep down, Ireland is a little bit hippie," the artist says. "It likes its pint of Guinness, it likes its spliff. There’s a bit of a natural-folk thing here. Ireland tends to go for more straightforward stuff instinctively.”